AcuSprout: Acupuncture Podcast

 How could you possibly know how to get to where you want to go without first defining where you want to go? Are you a new practitioner and want to know how to get new patients? Are you feeling unheard? Do you have SO much passion that when someone asks if Acupuncture can treat XXX you can hardly contain your excitement and can’t wait for them to come see you so you can SHOW them?!! Then they don’t come see you and your sensitive feelers crumble. Because, if they would just GIVE YOU A CHANCE!!!! 

If this is you, you are really putting the cart before the horse. Yes, yes, of course, of course it could happen that they schedule with you right away, but I doubt it. People need repetition. They need to be struck multiple ways with your presence and message. They need to see you stick around so they can get to know you. They need someone else to tell them to go see you. They need to hear you talk about them in their own words. They need to find you in ways that resonate with them. 

In this episode we till the soil, envision the garden of your business, choose the seeds, plant, nurture, and harvest exactly what we want. This is the way. This is your map to creating the practice of your dreams.

THE TOP 5 FACTORS THAT CAN MAKE OR BREAK YOUR MARKETING STRATEGY

1. What is your niche? What type of garden do you want?
2. Who is your dream patient? What specific plants do you want in your garden?
3. What is your style? (introvert vs extrovert.) Who are you? How do you relate to your dream patient?
4. Leverage what you have.
5. Have a plan. You can’t have your ideal garden without a plan.

HEAD ON OVER TO ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE ACUPUNCTURE PAGES ON FACEBOOK AND ASK, “WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST?” Please share the AcuSprout!

Mentioned in this episode:

Schedule your 15 minute bookkeepping consultation here!

 Are you afraid that if you have a niche or choose a target market that you will, “miss out” on opportunities to treat patients? Does it feel counterintuitive to get super specific about the cases and people you love to treat? What about all of those other people who might need you or that you actually could treat? What about the missed opportunities to make money??! Especially when that is one of your number one goals right now. Make money = survive.

I get you! I made that same mistake. TWICE! Both as a Massage Therapist and again as an Acupuncturist. Know what happened? As soon as I got clear on what type of massage and what type of acupuncture I love to do and who my favorite patients are, everything clicked and I was making the money I needed.

Choosing your style and defining your dream patient IS the way to attract more patients to you. 

In this episode I am going to cover three ways to shake out who you want to treat and then I am going to explain why this may be one of the most important decisions you make in the beginning.

IN THIS MINDSET MONDAY EPISODE I SHOW YOU THREE WAYS TO IDENTIFY YOUR DREAM PATIENT AND THREE REASONS THIS IS GOING TO STREAMLINE YOUR SUCCESS.

1. DEFINE WHO YOU DON’T  WANT TO SEE.
   • What character traits repel you?
   • Who drains your life force?
   • What types of cases do you dislike treating?
   • What are you not good at?
   
   
2. WHO WOULD MAKE YOU THINK, “OH MY GOSH! I CAN’T BELIEVE I GET TO WORK WITH THIS PATIENT!”
   • What characteristics do they have?
   • What are you treating?
   • What do you love about them?
   
   
3. CREATE A FILTER SYSTEM
   • Can you list the top five qualities your dream patient has to have in order for you to work with them?
   • Give a free 20 minute consultation to make sure that you and your potential patient are a good fit.
   • They must have at least 3 of the 5 qualities.
   
   

HOW THIS CAN PUSH YOUR BUSINESS ALONG…

1.   If you have a target market you know where to find potential patients who are looking for what you have to offer. You know where they hang out, what organizations they belong to, what social media they may or may not use, what types of gatherings they may attend, what publications they may subscribe to and who they hang out with. 
2.   You can identify how they communicate with each other. Then you can teach them how to talk about their treatment. You can position your branding accordingly, you can randomly do yoga or hike with them, you can teach a class for their group, etc 
3.  You will become the go-to expert on this population and these people will trust you and want to come see you. They will notice that you have shown up in a way that speaks directly to them. They will feel understood. They will trust you. They will tell other thems!

The best referral source is word of mouth. If  you enjoy the podcast, please tell your acu friends!

Mentioned in this episode:

Schedule your 15 minute bookkeepping consultation here!

 Does this sound like you? You are just starting out and don’t know how to “get out there”.  They taught you in school to join a networking group like BNI and the thought of it makes you want to self medicate. You have tried to reach out to the other Acupuncturists in town to introduce yourself and they don’t return your phone calls. You feel a little sad and rejected by this. You aren’t feeling confident. You suddenly aren’t sure how confident you are in your Acupuncture skills either. You want to go back to school and get more education so you can feel ready for this. You have spent marketing money on stupid stuff. Social media is a time suck and you aren’t getting patients.

Being an entrepreneur requires a whole set of skills we didn’t learn in school. Actually, in some ways we learned the opposite. We learned to be sensitive, move intentionally, watch our language so we don’t harm with our words, be patient, have close conversations and be open and available for what comes.

Business is different. In the beginning it can feel unkind, unrewarding, tiresome and full of rejection. If you are sensitive it can really take its toll on your confidence. But it is also rewarding, thought provoking and super fun when it’s clicking. Mostly, it just takes time and exploration to find your groove.

In today’s episode I give you 6 (of many) mental health survival tips for your entry to the business world. 

IN THIS MINDSET MONDAY EPISODE I GIVE YOU 6 MENTAL HEALTH SURVIVAL TIPS FOR YOUR LAUNCH

• #1  FOCUS 
  • Know what you want.
  • Create a plan.
  • Get into action.
  • Make decisions quickly. Don’t get sucked into Analysis Paralysis.
  
  
• #2  YOUR WHY
  • Why did you go to school?
  • Why do you practice this medicine. 
  • Knowing what you want can help you get to your “WHY”.
  
  
• #3  HAVE A BUSINESS MINDSET
  • Separate business from personal. If someone doesn’t want to collaborate with you move on. It’s not about you.
  • People can smell fear and desperation. Get into parasympathetic before you interact with others. Including your patients.
  • Set goals, create plans, stay in action, adjust, finish, repeat.
  
  
• #4  PROGRESS OVER PERFECTION
  • Perfection will slow you down. Just finish stuff and move on. You will change things as you go anyway.
  • Learn as you go, change it as you grow.
  • Perfection is the enemy of progress. - Winston Churchill
  
  
• #5  LET GO OF THE PAST
  • What do you need to let go of to move forward?
  • Feel the fear and emotions and do the things anyway. BUT, be sure to check in with yourself  and stay in alignment with the plan
  • What emotional patterns are repeating right now? It’s okay to have them and it’s okay to let go of them and it’s okay to keep going even though you feel them.
  
  
• #6  COMPARISON IS THE THIEF OF JOY
  • If social media is triggering to you, don’t go there. 
  • Focus on your next step.
  • There is no need to look around. Focus on you.
  • You are enough. You can do this!
  
  

• Tell a new practitioner about the podcast!
• Check me out on Instagram! I give free shit away sometimes.

Mentioned in this episode:

Schedule your 15 minute bookkeepping consultation here!

Me neither!! I mean seriously, I’m a couple years in and I had a pretty extensive business education in school. Here is what I can tell you. The tech world has moved SO fast that very few practitioners realize they are dangling the hook of being sued by pure ignorance of this information. Myself included. It’s not hard. None of this is hard. It’s just the stuff of, “you don’t know what you don’t know.” Listen in as we dive into what you need to do. Then, take a look at the RESOURCES section to see who is doing it right!

RACHEL SCHUMONT, ATTORNEY, OWNER AT COUNSEL FOR WELLNESS

My name is Rachel and I am an attorney that specializes in legal issues that affect your business. 

I began my legal career as a litigation attorney in Northeast Florida but after years of working in a courtroom I felt drawn to another passion and chose to spend a few years teaching vinyasa yoga in Southern California. While teaching, I quickly learned how little yoga teachers understood about their businesses and worked to educate yoga teachers on the nuances of their businesses and help them identify areas where they could limit their liability. From there my business grew and expanded to include other areas of health and wellness. Through my practice, Counsel for Wellness, I work with acupuncturists, dietitians, movement and fitness instructors, health coaches, and others in the wellness field to establish business entities, review and negotiate contracts, get solid legal documents in place, and address any other legal issues that arise along the way.

My experience has been that many business owners put off getting their legal affairs in order because they believe it to be overwhelming or time-consuming. With Counsel for Wellness my goal is to make your legal issues accessible so that you can focus on growing your business and caring for your people. 

FIND HER HERE:

INSTAGRAM @COUNSELWELLNESS

COUNSEL FOR WELLNESS WEBSITE

• For a deep dive on “How To Make A Healthcare Website ADA Compliant” - Episode 016
• “How To Stay On The Upside Of Legal In A Quickly Evolving Tech World” - all things HIPAA - Episode 021
• What legal documents you need to operate your practice. Especially with regards to your patients.
• You need legal disclaimers on your website! Privacy Policy, HIPAA, Terms of Use.
• Disclaimers. You need them for; medical advice, testimonials, blogging, and advertisements.
• The difference between LLC and PLLC.
• What does, “Maintaining an entity mean?”.
• What the hell is, “Piercing the corporate veil?”

• I found you a great example of a website that has the serious legal mumbo jumbo. They are going to totally be flumoxed why their website has a bunch of new traffic. Bwahahaha! Check out Healthpointe !

• Seriously, just tell another Acupuncturist about the show. It would mean the world to me and might make or break them!

Mentioned in this episode:

Schedule your 15 minute bookkeepping consultation here!

I have personal and professional mantras on repeat in my head all the time. Some are even incorporated into my meditations. Are you challenged with perfectionism? Me too.  Producing a podcast has taught me this: PROGRESS OVER PERFECTION. Since I have started podcasting nothing meets my perfect standards. Podcasts are raw and conversational. Grammar, punctuation and proper sentence structure doesn’t exist. I say f***. My interviewees cuss, their dogs bark and their kids play bowling alley outside their office while we record. As I have grown, my website is getting confusing and my branding colors are getting lost. It’s not perfect, but I think it’s helpful. I hope it’s helpful….. No. I’m sure it’s helpful!

Since I started my Acupuncture practice I have worked out of 3 different offices in 3 years. I started broad and am now re-defining my niche. I once had a pretty nice beginner website and now I am operating with just a landing page while I get my shit together, which takes time. Everything takes time. And I have two businesses, so it takes even more time. 

Before the pandemic I was able to pay myself a little bit. My practice was growing. Slowly, but it was growing. Enter freakish Pandemic which forced me to close. I came home and started a podcast. So far my only return on investment with the podcast is self satisfaction. What I do matters. The same is happening with the post apocalyptic re-launch of my practice. Invest more time, invest more money, work, work, work, and eventually the tide will turn. This is the way.

It’s hard. Sometimes it’s lonely. Sometimes I feel like a Badass Superhero. Sometimes I feel like a total imposter. But I actually know what I am doing and I have a plan. That is something. That feels good! It’s all a process. I promise you this. If you don’t give up, you will get there. Start at the beginning and work your way to the end. That is all. That is success!

A special thanks to Sarah LaVaque for this episode. She conducted a great interview. I couldn’t have done it better myself!

SARAH LAVAQUE LMT, CHINESE MEDICAL STUDENT

Sarah LaVaque, BCTMB, is a board-certified massage therapist and TCM graduate student at Northwestern Health Sciences University. She currently practices massage therapy at a chiropractic clinic in Woodbury, MN. She has practiced therapeutic massage for 16 years and specializes in deep tissue massage, sports massage, and myofascial release. 

STACEY WHITCOMB AEMP, LAC., PODCAST HOST, SHE/HER

Acupuncturist, Podcaster, Coach and Creator of  Magical Networks. Stacey is the host of the AcuSprout Podcast, new Acupuncturist, old Massage Therapist and business owner and Coach to new Entrepreneurial Chinese Medicine Practitioners. Stacey is a true believer in creating the practice and life of your greatest desires. 

After a long and successful massage career of working with competitive level athletes, Stacey loaded up the Tiny House On Wheels and headed to Portland of course, to pursue her Masters in Chinese Medicine at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine. (Yes, they are working on the “O” thing….) Upon graduation and launching a practice in a town where she didn’t know anyone she quickly realized two things. One, the landscape of business had changed drastically in the last 25 years and she had some catching up to do. And two, there were very few resources available to new practitioners.

Add a dash of Pandemic and viola! A podcast is born! 

You can find her here: AcuSprout

On Instagram here: @acusprout

On Facebook here: AcuSprout

Mentioned in this episode:

I’m a freedom lover. I LOVE to navigate this world my way and rarely does it come close to the societal norm. I think a lot of Practitioners of Chinese Medicine are like this. We tend to be the outliers and renegades. However, I often see the tendency for Acupuncturists to sweep legal professionalism into the gray space. Not doing due diligence with the “seemingly small things”, like HIPAA compliant emails and posting photos on social media. It’s easy to gloss over these details when starting a practice and it’s hard to recall specifically from our education what best practices are. Our ethics and jurisprudence classes are short and relatively boring and mashed in between the high demands of memorizing an entire pharmacopeia. SO….this is my continued graduation gift to you. Let’s till the proverbial soil and plant some very healthy and robust seeds. In order to keep that seed alive and help it grow, we might encounter some tasks that are not fun but necessary for it to thrive. The same goes for your career and practice. Stay informed about the ever-changing climate and world of technology. Just like following the rules of nature, there are rules that you have to follow with your practice so that you can thrive. In this episode we are going to touch on some laws and practices you need to be aware of as new practitioners. Make sure the light shines on the soil. No shady practices here. We are talking mostly about your online presence and what you need to be aware of with regards to social media, HIPAA compliance, BAA agreements, webinars, emails, phones, and newsletters.
YOU'LL LEARN

• What services you might hire an attorney to provide you business.
• PHI defined and exactly what our responsibilities are.
• What is a BAA and why is it necessary.
• Should you really be asking for advice on cases on Facebook??!!!
• Can an Acupuncturist also be a Health Coach? If so, what legal protection would a practitioner need in place when coaching?
• How does HIPAA influence our relationship with patients on social media?
• Does your newsletter need to be HIPAA compliant? What about your phone? Yes and yes. I have a solution for you.

• Need HIPAA compliant email, phone and video that’s super affordable? I use Google Workspace and love it.
• Here are some great articles I found in my research. Worth the read!
• Policy Statement From the American College of Physicians and the Federation of State Medical Boards 
• Social Media and Health Care Professionals: Benefits, Risks, and Best Practices 
• The Rise of the Empowered Physician in the Digital Health Era: Viewpoint 

• Join me on Instagram @AcuSprout

Mentioned in this episode:

Schedule your 15 minute bookkeepping consultation here!

 Are you a game geek? Love a good puzzle? Maybe a little competitive? Do you miss being read to in class? ME TOO!!! In this episode we are going back to the cozy classroom with Phil Settels LAc.,the Director and Designer of the DAOM program at ACCHS, The Academy of  Chinese Culture and Health Sciences. Phil reviews an herbal case he encountered in clinic and breaks it all down for me. Enjoy the show!

PHIL SETTELS LAC., 

Phil Settels graduated from ACCHS in 2011. Early on in his engagement with Chinese Medicine, Phil had the opportunity to study with several amazing Shanghan Lun teachers, including Dr. Arnaud Verluys, Dr. Huang Huang and Dr. Suzanne Robidoux. Phil uses Classical Formulas almost exclusively in his own practice and in his teaching.

Phil was brought in to design the curriculum of the ACCHS DAOM program which started in 2017, and he is currently the Dean of Academics. This program was guided by the ideal of what would best serve clinicians while honoring both the roots of the medicine and its development over time, and empowering graduates to be stewards of Chinese Medicine. The program has a dual focus on Classical Chinese Herbalism as well as Orthopedics and Pain Management, with the goal that graduates have increased skill and confidence to treat any patient who walks through their door, whether their condition reflects an internal or a musculoskeletal dysfunction.

LINK TO JOURNAL ARTICLE WE DISCUSSED HERE.

• Head on over and check out the DAOM program! Be sure to tell them who sent you! 

Mentioned in this episode:

Schedule your 15 minute bookkeepping consultation here!

 New practitioners have SO many choices to make that often feel heavy. We have been a cog in the wheel of the educational machine where we are told exactly what hoops to jump through for 4 years. Suddenly, we sprout into the “real” world and are taxed with the challenge of making a living again. The options of where, how, and with whom are abundant. 

Do you want to be an employee for a couple years? Do you know how much you should be paid? Should you be an independent contractor or an employee? Take insurance? Start our own practice? Or maybe you want to purchase a clinic. There are SO many steps involved in that too!

Listen in as I chat with MaryAnn Geness, DC. about EVERY aspect of business ownership. Dr. Geness has personally experienced every strata of the business world. She has been an employee, an independent contractor, associate, partner and boss. She has purchased a practice, sold a practice and dissolved a practice. She has owned large practices, a medium sized practice and a solo practice. She has pretty much done it all and we are fortunate that she is willing to share her experiences. 

Grab your tea and a cookie and enjoy the show! 

MARYANN GENESS DC., OWNER OF SPARK CHIROPRACTIC AND ACUPUNCTURE

DR MARYANN GENESS has been in the healing arts for 25 years, first as a massage therapist and then as a chiropractor for the last fourteen years. She started into chiropractic as an Associate and then ran several large CAM practices, before selling her practice and downsizing to a smaller practice so she could also run a net-zero farm in Southern Oregon. As a practitioner, she uses gentle humor and understanding, allowing patients to feel safe and open to learning without the feelings of guilt that doctors' opinions can sometimes bring. She recognizes the importance of meeting people where they are and helping them get to where they want to go with love and self-respect. The time she spent as a massage therapist informed her techniques as a chiropractor and she spends a lot of time on the muscles and fascia along with the working on the joints.

Spark Chiropractic and Acupuncture

• What should a new Acupuncturist know about when considering employment vs. being an independent contractor?
• Is is better to be paid a salary or work for commission?
• What should we know about lease space and triple net?
• What are the extra costs associated with leasing space?
• Should a new Acupuncturist purchase an existing clinic?
• What are the key elements to look for when purchasing a practice?
• How do you find a practice for sale?
• What key things should you take into consideration when purchasing a clinic?
• What size practice is potentially the most lucrative?
• What specific terms or stipulations to put in the purchase agreement.
• How to finance a clinic.
• Why you need to hire an attorney and an appraiser.

• Join me on Instagram @AcuSprout

Mentioned in this episode:

Schedule your 15 minute bookkeepping consultation here!

 I went in search of a practitioner who was practicing medicine in the business model I was envisioning as a result of the Pandemic. A practice with multiple streams of income that housed an educational community and platform to answer questions and share the fundamentals of Chinese Medicine. A way to spotlight the spectrum of natural ways it can help people heal. I was looking for a way to treat patients in my office and remotely, and also a way to connect with an build relationships with people who want to be healthier but maybe aren’t ready for the needles while creating passive streams of income.

Here is what I found. I found a newish graduate who had a baby AND launched a practice a couple months after graduation. A social media expert who might catch up to The Rock sometime soon. A young, intelligent and well spoken woman who NEVER in ANY of our conversations let on that her life changing events were anything but motivational and helpful in her success. And I promise you that you want to stick around to the end to hear what her vision of success is.

CAITRIA THIELE LAC., OWNER OF CONNECTED HEALING LLC.

Caitria's connection to the natural medicine realm began early in life, thanks to her parents who exposed her to chiropractic, acupuncture, biofeedback, and osteopathy for various issues throughout childhood. She began acupuncture school at a young age after stumbling upon a school 30 minutes from her hometown, where she felt an instant connection to TCM. Starting her practice just a few months before the birth of her daughter led to some outside-the-box marketing techniques that really paid off. She now practices in her dream clinic in Southern Wisconsin, working primarily with women's health, pediatrics, and mental health.

FIND HER HERE:

FaceBook: Connected Healing

Instagram: @connectedhealingcaitria

Website: ConnectedHealingLLC

• Caitria talks about the support systems she had when she started her practice.
• The challenges of having a newborn as a single Mom and launching a practice were real, but they also catalyzed her practice to what it is today.
• Caitria is an Instagram Pro. She talks about what it takes to use social media as her main connection to attracting patients.
• I love her vision of success and you will too.
• We dive into her practice model which includes a membership and masterclasses.
• Her practice evolved because she focused on what came easy and doubled down on that. 

• Go take a masterclass and then see if integrating this into your practice feels right for you.
• If you like the podcast please let other people know about it. 
• Leave a review on Applepodcasts!

Mentioned in this episode:

Schedule your 15 minute bookkeepping consultation here!

Hey Sprouts! Are you feeling a little lost in all of the legal jazz your state is offering up?  Trying to figure out what hoops to jump through and in what order? Not really sure where to find some help? 

Did you know that your state association might have the answers you need? They may even have a detailed explanation or road map for you to follow. And even if  they don’t, the ASA has mentors to help you!! Don’t know who the ASA is? Listen in to get the 411, then go join your state association. Then volunteer! 

Dr. Beth Howlett, DAOM, LAc, is the Vice President of Communications and Academic Services and adjunct faculty at Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM).  In addition to leadership and teaching roles in the field of Chinese Medicine, Dr. Howlett also serves as the Education Working Group Co-Chair for the Academic Collaborative for Integrative Health (ACIH) and the Board Chair for the Oregon Collaborative for Integrative Medicine (OCIM).

YOU’LL LEARN

• How Oregon’s University level healthcare programs are championing collaborative systems that other states and organizations can learn from.
• How we keep students linked to their state associations from graduation to start up.
• This can happen at the school level by providing educational resources to students about what state associations have to offer.
• At the state level, welcome emails or letters to new practitioners may be a helpful entry point.
• Schools could host special events on campus around graduation time to onboard the new practitioners and create personal bonds.
• At the ASA level states could be educated on how to create meaningful packets on how to get your business started.
• States need to provide help where information is based on the specificity of the state.
• Part of the bridge program could be on having a granular herbal medicinary and prescribing.
• The Acupuncture Society of Acupuncturists has a mentorship program! The committee chair is Christine Cronin.
• Listen in as Beth gives her top 4 things Acupuncturists do that could bite you in the ass later. (My words, not hers…)

• National Practitioner Survey: Attitudes and Practices Around Herb Sourcing: LINK
• Oregon Association of Acupuncturists: (OAA): LINK   Facebook: LINK
• Oregon Collaborative for Integrative Medicine (OCIM): LINK
• OCOM/Kam Wah Chung Medical Collection Database: LINK
• More about Kam Wah Chung: LINK
• American Society of Acupuncturists (ASA): LINK
• American Society of Acupuncturists State Association list: LINK

• Join your State Association and maybe even volunteer!! You can forge some pretty helpful relationships this way.
• Be sure to participate in the National Practitioner Survey.
• If your website is not ADA compliant, you need to listen to Episode 016.

Mentioned in this episode: